Did you know that 45% of small to medium sized businesses around the globe say that their processes are ineffective at mitigating cyber attacks?
Attacks are becoming more common and more targeted. Without the right IT team and tools, you run the risk of being the next victim of cybercrime.
As hackers find their way into more complicated systems, it’s essential to assess your IT infrastructure and makes changes where necessary. To do this, you need to run a thorough IT audit. Keep reading to learn how.
Gather Information About Your Current System
To run an IT audit, you need to understand how your existing system works. This step involves creating an asset inventory and investigating how devices, apps, and networks are secured.
You should know the age and edition of your IT resources as well. Outdated software and equipment can cause several different problems, including the following:
- Slower performance
- Increased IT costs
- Higher risk of data breaches
To help you reduce costs, complete a financial assessment that covers your total IT costs in this first stage of your IT audit.
You should review and test documents, procedures, and cybersecurity protocols. Anything that details IT policies should get reviewed and tested.
If your company is registered with the Security Exchange Commission (SEC), you must have a written security plan.
Auditors will use this information along with a list of third-party contractors and services. The list should also include the purchase and warranty of your current IT infrastructure.
If your auditor comes from the IT Security Services that you hire, they should have most of this information already. With the overview they have, they can find solutions to reduce costs, maximize profit, and increase productivity.
Investigate Control Structure
The second step for your IT department is to investigate the existing control structure and user processes.
Any sized business should have safeguards and security controls to protect data. Without these controls, hackers have a way onto your network.
In this step of the auditing process, the focus is on systems and applications. All users should be verified. Someone from the IT industry will test that your system is secure at every access point.
Systems, applications, and devices will all get tested. If any piece of the infrastructure doesn’t align with business goals, you will know. How you store and control data will also be addressed at this time.
Address Key Areas of Risk
After gathering accurate information on your current system, you should have an idea of how your IT system functions. The auditor will address key areas and provide recommendations for risk management and security.
The key areas of risk management might include:
- Critical assets required to continue business
- Potential threats to critical assets
- Potential risks and vulnerabilities to assets
- Risk mitigation plan
Security will focus on the bigger picture and might include the following:
- List of controls and assets
- Security risk management
- External and internal security
- System and network management
- Access control and user verification
Each key area is not limited to these lists. You could have more or fewer recommendations depending on the results of your audit.
Conduct a Thorough IT Audit Today!
Although you can conduct a thorough IT audit on your own, employing the help of an IT professional is the best option. If you currently pay for managed IT services, IT audits should be completed regularly.
To conduct an audit, you’ll need to gather important information about your current infrastructure, investigate your access control, and, finally, assess your findings.
With this process, you’ll have what you need to improve productivity, save on costs, and prevent cyber threats.
For more informative business articles like this, check out the other posts on our blog.
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